Mingda Zhao has broad experience advising clients on a wide range of matters within the energy and infrastructure space. In addition, he has an extensive background counseling on acquisitions and divestitures (A&D), drilling and other joint ventures.
Zhao has a deep understanding of the unique issues that arise within the oil and gas sector, including how titles are handled across various jurisdictions and the structuring of operating agreements, and clients frequently turn to him to tackle some of their most complex matters in these areas.
Additionally, Zhao counsels U.S. and international companies across a variety of industries, as well as private equity funds and their portfolio companies, on a variety of corporate matters, including mergers, acquisitions, private equity investments, joint ventures, energy and cross-border transactions (including with regard to relevant CFIUS and national security issues), and structured and alternative investments. He also advises on marketing and operational arrangements, such as joint operating agreements.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2027 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers | 2027 | M&A, Energy |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Energy | 2026 | Energy M&A |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2026 | M&A, Energy |
Notable representations, both while at Skadden and prior to joining the firm, have included advising:
- Calpine Corporation in:
- its $26.6 billion acquisition by Constellation to create the nation’s largest clean energy provider
- its joint venture with a large LNG terminal operator
- Continental Resources, Inc., a top 10 independent oil producer in the U.S., in its:
- $3.25 billion acquisition of certain entities and assets in the Permian Basin from affiliates of Pioneer Natural Resources Company, one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the U.S.
- acquisition of certain assets in the Permian Basin from a large producer
- Devon Energy in its:
- non-operated working interest joint venture with QL Capital Partners, LP
- $1.45 billion sale of a 30% stake in 650,000 shale acres in the Permian Basin to Japan’s Sumitomo
- EP Energy in:
- the sale of its power plants in South Asia
- its drilling joint venture with a private equity fund advised by Apollo
- Gastar Exploration in its:
- agreement with a large private global investment fund to jointly develop up to 60 wells in the STACK play in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma
- $80 million sale to an affiliate of Tug Hill Inc. of its Marcellus Shale and Utica/Point Pleasant properties
- HRT O&G Exploração e Produção de Petróleo in its:
- sale and purchase agreement to acquire a 40% interest in the Polvo Field off the coast of Brazil from Maersk Energia Ltda. in exchange for cash consideration and the assumption of certain decommissioning obligations
- sale of 50% interest in the Amazon to TNK-BP
- Net Power’s $1.459 billion business combination with Rice Acquisition Corp. II
- Pioneer Natural Resources in its:
- $1.7 billion joint venture with Sinochem to develop 207,000 acres in the Permian Basin
- $1.3 billion joint venture with Reliance Industries for the development of acreage in the Eagle Ford Shale
- Sinopec International in the $7.1 billion acquisition of a 40% stake in Repsol Brasil, S.A., a subsidiary of Repsol YPF, S.A., which holds all of Repsol’s upstream assets in Brazil
- Talos Energy, Inc. in its purchase of a package of Gulf of Mexico assets from Riverstone Energy Limited and Castex
- W&T Offshore, Inc. in its drilling joint venture in the Gulf of Mexico